BORDENTOWN CITY: Municipal water rates slated for 20 percent hike

By Christina Whittington, Special Writer
   BORDENTOWN CITY — Residents can expect to see a 20 percent increase in their water rates.
   At the Sept. 10 Bordentown City Commission meeting, the second reading and public hearing on Ordinance 2012-11, which calls for the rate increase, was adopted by the Board of Commissioners. As previously reported by the Register-News, the measure was introduced on Aug. 13 and implements a 20 percent water rate increase across the board.
   ”I have studied comparison rates of other municipalities in the area — and even with the increase, our new rate is still cheaper than a lot of other towns around us,” Bordentown City Commissioner Zigmont Targonski told the Register-News on Sept. 11.
   Prior to the 20 percent increase, Bordentown City held the fifth lowest water rates in New Jersey, as previously reported.
   According to Mr. Targonski, the new residential water rate is $2.80 per 1,000 gallons of water, the old rate being $2.53 per 1,000 gallons. The change is set to account for a $12.04 rise per quarter for a resident using 48,000 gallons of water per quarter.
   As of press time, Deputy City Clerk Grace Archer said that she was unsure which upcoming billing cycle would begin to be effected by the water rate increase.
   According to Mr. Targonski, there is a legal process involved in the increase of the city’s water rates, so rather than immediately increasing, the new, higher rates will most likely be implemented by the next quarter.
   Mr. Targonski, who is also the director of Public Works and Parks and Property, told the Register-News last week that the water rate increase is 20 percent in total regular charge and consumption charge for residences and businesses, noting that legislation passed in Trenton permitted Bordentown City to increase the rate with no charge as long as the increase was across the board.
   The water rates for nonprofit organizations and businesses were not available as of press time.
   One of the factors for the increase in the community’s water rates is the upcoming relocation of the Ocean Spray plant to the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania from Bordentown City.
   ”This increase was partly due to the anticipated loss of revenue from Ocean Spray when (it leaves) in 2013,” Mr. Targonski said.
   The Ocean Spray facility paid $498,216 for water usage in 2011, as previously reported.
   Erich Fritz, vice president of manufacturing at Ocean Spray, told the Register-News last week that the Bordentown facility currently uses approximately 700,000 gallons of water per day for processing beverages.
   The plant, located on East Park Street, has been part of the Bordentown City community since 1943. The 500,000 square foot manufacturing and warehouse space is one of seven plants which Ocean Spray, a Massachusetts based company, uses for bottling its products.
   Last year, Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. announced its intention to shut down its Bordentown City operations and relocate it to a new 315,000 square foot facility in Upper Macungie Township, Pennsylvania.
   In April, a groundbreaking ceremony took place in Macungie. The new facility is tentatively scheduled to open in September 2013 and employ 165 workers.
   ”Should the township waterfront development project get underway, it would make up for the loss revenue from the Ocean Spray plant,” Mr. Targonski said in reference to Bordentown Township’s plans to redevelop along the Delaware River.
   Mr. Targonski cited the modernization and upgrades to the municipality’s 40-year-old water plant as another factor in the city’s rate increase. Upgrades performed to date have included the rebuilding of the plant’s control system and the replacement of its pump motors.
   ”We need extra money to defray the cost for upgrades for the water plant. You can’t wait till the system breaks down,” Mr. Targonski said.
   ”Because the water plant is our only source of water, it’s important that we keep up on maintenance and upgrades,” Mr. Targonski said.
   The next Bordentown City Commission meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 9.